


The Lovers

by HopeYouAlwaysStay



Series: Stories from Arcana [1]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Asra (The Arcana)'s Route, Canon Compliant, Gentle Everything, Gentle Kissing, Hand Jobs, M/M, Magic, Nightmares, One Shot, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 02:32:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15208910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeYouAlwaysStay/pseuds/HopeYouAlwaysStay
Summary: (The Lovers represent kindred spirits and desire.)They should get back to the castle, back to the investigation, but they're drenched to the bone and Theo usually gets what he wants regardless.





	The Lovers

"Perhaps just for tonight." Asra sighed as he unwound the scarf from around his shoulders, "Nadia will be expecting us back soon, but it's late already. What do you think-?"

He cut himself off, violet eyes sparkling in mirth when he saw Theo had already thrown himself down on one of the chairs, sinking into the many furs and colorful pillows that were piled on top of it. Faust slithered from his arm, going immediately to curl in front of the warm stove that the fire salamander had ignited when they entered the shop, and Asra slipped his shawl and coat off, hanging the wet material on a chair to dry. Walking over quietly, he looked down at the man sprawled out in the chair, still in sopping wet clothing. Reaching down, he gently brushed his fingers along Theo's bared shoulder, the other man's eyelids opening slightly to gaze at him sleepily.

Asra smiled down at him, "Shouldn't you head to bed? I don't think sleeping like that would be good for your neck."

"Mm, 's warm." The apprentice turned his head away, hair dripping onto the pillows surrounding him.

Tugging slightly on the ill-fitting purple shirt Theo wore, one that left one shoulder and half of his collarbone exposed, Asra hummed lightly, "Shouldn't you change? You'll catch a cold."

"Bah, I never get sick." Theo opened his eyes fully, two shining orbs staring right at Asra.

That statement felt incriminating, and Asra leaned down to kiss him lightly on the nose to cover up the flinch, "You should still change. At the very least spare the furs."

Sighing happily, Theo caught the magician before he could stand up fully again, cupping his cheeks and placing a kiss fully on his mouth, "Well, if you're going to convince me..."

Blinking, still unused to being able to touch the other in this way, Asra smiled fully and settled down on top of the apprentice, "I think I can manage to get you motivated."

"Uh..." Theo's cheeks flushed a bright cherry red and in the dim light of the shop he looked ethereal. Asra leaned down and kissed him again, hands brushing down his sides until he had his arms circled around Theo's waist. The wet material of the shirt was unpleasant on his skin, the coldness of it sending goosebumps up and down his arms.

"Mmm, you should change." Asra laughed lightly, "I should change. This clothing is getting uncomfortable."

Theo's lips quirked up, "You win. I'll head to my room."

"You're..." Asra hesitated, "You're welcome to come to mine when you're changed."

The apprentice's head tilted slightly, akin to a curious cat, and he smiled, "I might. I liked sleeping close to you when we were on the road."

Asra's chest bloomed with warmth and, in one graceful motion, he stood and gathered his things to go upstairs. Theo wasn't so lucky, nearly tumbling over when he stood, a few pillows smacking the ground behind him as he regained his bearings. Giving a sheepish laugh, he looked up with a smile that reached all the way to his eyes, "Elegant as always, huh?"

"Perfect." Asra assured on his way past, his hand reaching out to briefly touch Theo's cheek, "As always."

He continued up the stairs, listening to Theo's quiet sputtering with a soft feeling in his heart. By the time he reached his room, he heard footsteps climb up the stairs and a door opening and closing. Changing into night clothes befitting of a Vesuvian winter, which mostly meant light fabric still heavy enough to keep him warm when the chill of the night set in, he laid down and closed his eyes to the sound of rustling in the room across from his. By the time his door creaked open and closed, Asra was already on the brink of sleep, the exhaustion he'd felt all evening catching up with him. Moving over slightly, he felt a dip in the bed and then a back pressed against his. He rolled over and fell asleep to the scent of Theo's lilac shampoo.

He woke up to a slight thrashing beside him, eyes snapping open when he heard a soft whimper from the apprentice laying beside him. Raising up slightly, he blinked down at Theo in confusion. This was the first time sleeping next to him since Nopal, and before then...well. Asra hadn't slept beside him for a long while. He hadn't had nightmares on the road, though, but perhaps Asra just couldn't hear him from over the crackling of the fire or the wind outside their hut. He was reaching out a hand to gently shake him awake when Theo started speaking.

The only words he could understand from the garbled mess were "Asra" and "sorry" but by then he'd heard enough. Shaking him with a sense of urgency, Theo's eyes snapped open and Asra just noticed the cold sweat on the apprentice's brow and the way his legs were tangled in the sheets. Gently holding his face in two hands to ground him as he gained his bearings, Asra frowned at the way Theo seemed scared. Not just spooked from a nightmare, but genuinely afraid. 

"There was so much fire." Theo's eyes were big as he stared at Asra, "I don't...I've never been in a fire before."

"No, you haven't." Asra's voice was gentle but firm as he leaned down to kiss Theo's forehead, "It was just a nightmare, love."

The pet name slipped off his tongue before he could stop it. From the moon casting light on Theo's face from the open window, Asra could see the grin working it's way up Theo's face, "Love?"

"Well, yes." The magician just smiled coyly through the pounding in his chest, "I love you, so it's fitting."

Theo froze, blinking at him owlishly, "I...I love you, too."

The words hit him like a blow, and he remembered the last time he heard them come out of Theo's mouth. He was leaving, and he wouldn't come back in time...and he pushed the memories away in favor of looking at those expressive eyes and hesitant smile.

"I love you." Theo repeated himself, fully grinning now.

"I'm glad." Asra laughed slightly, "I must say it pressed on me."

Faster than Faust catching a mouse, Theo reared up and pressed his lips against Asra's, a spark of magic rearing between them. The magician's hand curled down to go around Theo's hip, the other cupping the back of his neck. Asra caught the gleam of the golden stud in his right ear and laughed.

"You wear the earring to bed?"

"I wear it all the time." Theo stole another kiss before sitting up, pushing Asra so he was laying back down before throwing a leg over his hips to where he straddled him, "Because you gave them to me. It's the first gift I ever got."

Asra leaned up, capturing his mouth once more and sighing into the other's mouth, "That you can remember."

Slowly, Asra moved down to his neck, sucking at a spot right below Theo's ear lobe that he knew was sensitive. The apprentice gave a sharp gasp, hips grinding down and making Asra groan. The violet-eyed man continued making his way down the long expanse of neck until Theo was melting in his lap. Tugging at the shirt that blocked him from the torso he knew so well, he tugged the end of the fabric and it wasn't long before it was pooled on the floor below. The magician returned to his previous actions before a hand reached down for his chin and pulled him upwards. He was captured again, the slick mouth sliding up against his once more, and Asra was more than happy about it. He could kiss Theo forever. The feel of his lips, slightly chapped from the desert air they'd been exposed to, sent him reeling in a way he hadn't been for a long while.

"I love you." Theo pulled back slightly, his breath ghosting over Asra's face and his eyes wide and earnest, "I really do. This is...it's all I've ever wanted."

"All you've ever wanted, hmm?" Asra bumped their noses together in his haste to look him directly in the eyes, "I can agree with that."

Theo jerked back for a second, looking at him in a way that made him look like a deer facing a hunter's bow, "Really? You've...you really wanted this? For awhile?"

"For more than awhile." Asra ran his hands down Theo's sides, coming to rest on his hips, "Since you woke up in my arms I've wanted this. I've wanted it for longer, actually."

"Did we...did we ever...?"

Asra's brow crinkled in concern, "I've told you before, Theo. I tried to tell you about the past. It gives you headaches, or worse, and it worries me. I can't...nothing can happen to you."

"Just tell me this, then." He wrapped his arms around the magician's neck, staring into his face with intensity Asra forgot the other could have, "Did you love me? Before? At the...at the Masquerade? And...whenever you carved my name into the tree?"

"I loved you far before that." He cut the apprentice off, leaning forward and kissing him with an edge of desperation Theo had only seen when they'd been in Asra's gateway together. He didn't fight the intensity of the action, instead pulling himself as close to Asra as possible. 

They pulled back at the same time, every nerve on fire with each other's magic, and Theo shuddered from all the emotions building in his chest, "Azzy..."

Asra froze at the ridiculous name that slipped out of his mouth and the apprentice laughed, "Maybe nicknames aren't my forte."

The magician leaned forward and kissed him hard on the mouth, pulling back and looking at him with violet eyes blown wide, "No. I love it."

Theo smiled, his hips hitching down and pressing into Asra's lap, causing the magician's breath to catch in his throat. He gripped Theo's hips tighter, pressing his face into his lover's neck to stifle a moan. Asra pulled away for a moment, shirt slipping over his head and joining the other on the floor. He looked at Theo, who seemed just as enthralled as Asra was, and drank in the sight before him. He never thought...pushing that away, he grabbed Theo's hips and looked up at him with hooded eyes.

"Are you sure-?"

Theo just gave a sharp grind downward, his face all languid agreement, "I'm sure."

Asra rose up, turning them so Theo laid squirming beneath him, trying to get some friction as Asra continued undressing them. He peppered the apprentice's face with kisses as he did so, keeping contact with him at all times. The feeling of Theo's magic rising like a wave to meet his was exhilarating and something he missed in that bone deep kind of way. Not being able to hold him, touch him, feel him...it left Asra with a gaping hole in his chest like someone had snatched the half of his heart that was left right out. Theo let out a long moan as Asra gripped him through his underwear, face flushed and hair fanned out on the pillow underneath him. 

"So beautiful." Asra muttered, palming the wet spot that was slowly making itself known.

"Ah, Gods, Azzy." Theo bucked into the hand desperately, "Please, please..."

He silenced him with a finger to his lips, a coy smile playing on Asra's own, "I'll take care of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm obsessed with this damn game and it's ruining my life. My male apprentice is named, as you can see, Theodor but goes by Theo. My female apprentice is Carina, you'll see her in other one shots. I think maybe the next one. Lmao this was my first smut-ish thing literally ever so forgive me please.
> 
> If y'all have any requests put them below! I'll right pretty much anything, so feel free to request. If you wanna talk on tumblr, my user is hopeyoualwaysstay. LMAO I'm pretty easy to find.


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